Isolation and characterization of myogenic precursor cells from human cremaster muscle.

Human myogenic precursor cells have been isolated and expanded from a number of skeletal muscles, but alternative donor biopsy sites must be sought after in diseases where muscle damage is widespread. Biopsy sites must be relatively accessible, and the biopsied muscle dispensable. Here, we aimed to histologically characterize the cremaster muscle with regard number of satellite cells and regenerative fibres, and to isolate and characterize human cremaster muscle-derived stem/precursor cells in adult male donors with the objective of characterizing this muscle as a novel source of myogenic precursor cells. Cremaster muscle biopsies (or adjacent non-muscle tissue for negative controls; N = 19) were taken from male patients undergoing routine surgery for urogenital pathology. Myosphere cultures were derived and tested for their in vitro and in vivo myogenic differentiation and muscle regeneration capacities. Cremaster-derived myogenic precursor cells were maintained by myosphere culture and efficiently differentiated to myotubes in adhesion culture. Upon transplantation to an immunocompromised mouse model of cardiotoxin-induced acute muscle damage, human cremaster-derived myogenic precursor cells survived to the transplants and contributed to muscle regeneration. These precursors are a good candidate for cell therapy approaches of skeletal muscle. Due to their location and developmental origin, we propose that they might be best suited for regeneration of the rhabdosphincter in patients undergoing stress urinary incontinence after radical prostatectomy.

Fluorous-tagged carbamates for the pd-catalyzed amination of aryl halides.

A novel fluorous-tagged ammonia surrogate has been synthesized and its application to the synthesis of anilines by Buchwald-Hartwig palladium-catalyzed amidation-hydrolysis protocol is described. Primary anilines were obtained in moderate to good yields after a sequence of two reaction steps involving fluorous separation techniques for their purification. Preliminary results indicate that N-substituted anilines can also be obtained using just N-substituted-FBoc carbamates as the nitrogen source.

C3'-cis-Substituted carboxycyclopropyl glycines as metabotropic glutamate 2/3 receptor agonists: synthesis and SAR studies.

The synthesis of a series of C3'-cis-substituted carboxycyclopropyl glycines bearing a wide variety of functional groups is described, and the structure-activity relationship for this series as agonists of group II metabotropic glutamate receptors is reported.

Cascade alkenyl amination/Heck reaction promoted by a bifunctional palladium catalyst: a novel one-pot synthesis of indoles from o-haloanilines and alkenyl halides.

A novel approach for the synthesis of the important indole ring is described. Indoles are obtained from o-bromoanilines and alkenyl halides in a Pd-catalyzed cascade process that involves an alkenyl amination followed by an intramolecular Heck reaction. The overall process represents the first example of the participation of alkenyl amination reactions in Pd-catalyzed cascade reactions. Initially, the relative reactivity of aryl and alkenyl bromides and chlorides towards Pd-catalyzed amination was investigated. Competition experiments were carried out in the presence of primary and secondary amines, and these revealed the reactivity order alkenyl bromides > aryl bromides > alkenyl chlorides > aryl chlorides, as well as very high chemoselectivity; the more reactive halide was always favored. Thereafter, optimized reaction conditions for the sequential alkenyl amination/Heck cyclization to give indoles were investigated with the model reaction of o-bromoaniline with alpha-bromostyrene. An extensive screening of ligands, bases, and reaction conditions revealed that the [Pd2(dba)3]/DavePhos, NaOtBu, toluene combination at 100 degrees C were the optimized reaction conditions to carry out the cascade process (dba=dibenzylideneacetone, DavePhos=2-dicyclohexylphosphino-2'-N,N-dimethylaminobiphenyl). The reaction proceeds with aryl, alkyl, and functionalized substitutents in both starting reactants. The cyclization was also studied with N-substituted o-bromoanilines (which would give rise to N-substituted indoles); however, in this case, indole formation occurred only with 1-substituted-2-bromoalkenes. Finally, the application of this methodology to o-chloroanilines required further optimization. Although the catalyst based on DavePhos failed to promote the cascade process, a catalytic combination based on [Pd2(dba)3]/X-Phos promoted the formation of the indole ring also from the less reactive chloroanilines.

Palladium catalyzed amination of vinyl chlorides: a new entry to imines, enamines and 2-amino-1,3-butadienes.

Vinyl chlorides are employed for the first time in palladium catalyzed cross-coupling reactions with amines to furnish imines and enamines. The new methodology has been applied to the synthesis of 2-amino-1,3-butadienes, that could not be achieved from the corresponding bromides.

Palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions of amines with alkenyl bromides: a new method for the synthesis of enamines and imines.

The palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction of alkenyl bromides with secondary and primary amines gives rise to enamines and imines, respectively. This new transformation expands the applicability of palladium-catalyzed C-N bond forming reactions (the Buchwald-Hartwig amination), which have mostly been applied to aryl halides. After screening of different ligands, bases, and solvents, the catalytic combination [Pd(2)(dba)(3)]/BINAP in the presence of NaOtBu in toluene gave the best results in the cross-coupling of secondary amines with 1-bromostyrene (dba=dibenzylideneacetone, BINAP=2,2'-bis(diphenylphosphino)-1,1'-binaphthyl). The corresponding enamines are obtained cleanly and in nearly quantitative yields. However, steric hindrance seems to be a limitation of the reaction, as amines carrying large substituents are not well converted. The same methodology can be applied to the coupling of secondary amines with 2-bromostyrene. Moreover, the reaction with substituted 2-bromopropenes allows regioselective synthesis of isomerizable terminal enamines without isomerization of the double bond. The best catalytic conditions for the cross-coupling of 1-bromostyrene with primary amines include again the use of the Pd(0)/BINAP/NaOtBu system. The reaction gives rise to the expected imines in very short times and with low catalyst loadings. A set of structurally diverse imines can be prepared by this methodology through variations in the structure of both coupling partners. However, 2-bromostyrene failed to give good results in this coupling reaction, probably due to product inhibition of the catalytic cycle. Competition experiments of vinyl versus aryl amination reveal that the reaction occurs preferentially on vinyl bromides.

Novel method for the synthesis of enamines by palladium catalyzed amination of alkenyl bromides.

The intermolecular palladium catalyzed cross-coupling reaction between secondary amines and alkenyl bromides is described for the first time, giving rise to enamines with very high yields and regioselectivity.